1) Shamsports shows Kirilenko's 2nd year as a player option. Is this true?2) Assuming it is true, he's having a great season, what are the odds he opts out? There are lots of team with cap space ( http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-am-wholl- ... e-in-2013/ ); he can probably get more than $10 million/1 year. Alternatively, he might want a better ring shot - LAC could give it to him, for example.3) Assuming you look out of the post-season at the trade deadline, do you trade him or gamble on him staying? 4) If trading, what are you looking for?

2) Odds are high. That's why he signed the 2 years contract in the first place, so he could have that option to get his last big pay day.

3) Nobody knows. Glen Taylor is selling the team. The plan was to create some noize and get into playoffs to drive up the value of the franchise, so he could get paid top dollar and still keep the team in Minnesota. But karma gods laughed at that plan. So he needs to decide what he wants to do: trade D-Will for immidiate help and fight for playoffs or dismantle the team again (trade AK + Love). Also chances of the team relocating are high too.

4) If Taylor decides to rebuild, they will probably look for picks, players on rookie deals.

Kirilenko opting out is about 50/50 I'd say. And odds are Wolves would get a pretty fair crack at it, same with Pekovic. I don't think Kahn/Adelman/Taylor are looking to blow things up. This team has most of the parts of a solid play-off team besides the health.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt

Klomp wrote:If he does opt-out, I think he'd do it to sign a more cap-friendly deal with us.

He likes it here. He likes Adelman's offense. I see no reason why he would leave.

LOL, that's some serious case of denial, even for you.If he does opt-out, he'd do it to get as much money and long-term security as possible.I'm not saying he will not re-sign here, but if he does his deal will not be "cap-friendly".

And that's not even touching the Adelman's situation and the selling of the team.

My guess is that he'd opt out of his last year, and try to get a 3-year, $25 mil contract.

I think Adelman would offer him that. He's been embraced here as the team MVP - he's always smiling, so I think that he likes that Adelman seems to let him do whatever he wants, and he's got Shved here to, if that helps. The team certainly needs his defense and overall utility.

Klomp wrote:If he does opt-out, I think he'd do it to sign a more cap-friendly deal with us.

He likes it here. He likes Adelman's offense. I see no reason why he would leave.

LOL, that's some serious case of denial, even for you.If he does opt-out, he'd do it to get as much money and long-term security as possible.I'm not saying he will not re-sign here, but if he does his deal will not be "cap-friendly".

And that's not even touching the Adelman's situation and the selling of the team.

Talk about short-sighted.

Yes, people do live in a fantasy world. What player in any sport hasn't opted out of a contract when they are having a great season. People usually only use it when they are having a bad season and know they won't get big money on the open market.

Kirilenko has a player option for the next season worth $10.2 million and could decide to opt out in order to test the free agent waters, seek a long term contract with Minnesota or potentially secure a lucrative deal overseas to finish his career.

However, the eleven year NBA veteran says he’s absolutely certain he won’t be exercising the player option at season’s end and is intending on remaining in Minnesota.

“I’m going to stay in the NBA for sure,” Kirilenko told HOOPSWORLD. “There is no doubt about it. I like Minnesota and I like [head coach] Rick Adelman.”

shrink wrote:My guess is that he'd opt out of his last year, and try to get a 3-year, $25 mil contract.

This. I think he would opt out just for more years. But I do think he likes our team, city, coach, and he thrived in the smaller market of SLC so I don't think he'd long for LA or NY in that regard. Its nice have a lot of international flavor and a former teammate in Shved. That makes me think he would sign another deal with us.